Re: NANFA-- Mussels

Pete Liptrot (coelacanth_at_btinternet.com)
Mon, 2 Sep 2002 20:11:51 +0100

> Until this year, I didn't realize it was even alive. The two times I
noticed it, looked like a > small piece of twig, stuck on the underside of a
rock, I had never taken any notice to it
> until this year. It is totally tubular.
Sounds like the pupae of a Caddisfly (Trichoptera). They make tubular cases
from everything from small snail shells to bits of twig (depending on
species). Someone posted something just recently on a company making
jewellery (sorry, 'jewelry') from Caddis-cases made from semi-precious gems
and precious metal flakes (coincidentally, an article on this company
appeared in a jewellery magazine my partner gets).
Some of them only anchor themselves to rocks in order to pupate, others
anchor themselves even as larvae and grab food as it goes past in the
current.

> Ohhh...another new thing is a rather horrific looking bug....sort of
> shield shaped and flatish...again on the underside of rocks. I guess
> I've never paid much attention to the tiniest reefers till this year.
This may be a Water Scorpion. It is an insect (Hemiptera, a true Bug).
Alternatively it could be a Saucer Bug (also Hemiptera) or similar.
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